Chapter 33: Fierce Battle

Varen smiled slightly, his eyes revealing nothing about his thoughts on World's proposal.

"What? Is that important? I only value your strength and talent. You seem like a match for me before you're twenty years old. As long as we join forces, no one in the entire sea can stop us! Even the Marines can't keep up with us!" There was a look of pride in World's eyes. Although he wasn't as strong as the three great pirates, his strength was top-tier among New World pirates. Combined with the destructive power of the Momo Momo no Mi, even the Marines hesitated to engage him recklessly.

It could be said that unless he sought death, there was no place in the sea he couldn't go. With Varen's help, they would indeed be almost invincible.

But the crux of the matter was that Varen didn't need a mere pirate's help.

"Did you know? Eagles don't flock with sparrows. It's been that way since ancient times." Varen replied flatly.

Whether World could understand it or not was irrelevant to Varen. His next actions would make his stance crystal clear.

"In other words, the strong don't associate with the weak!"

"Weak?" World's eyes immediately filled with murderous intent at the word. He couldn't tolerate being labeled as weak. His extreme self-esteem and pathological need to prove his strength drove him to attack everything, whether Marine or civilian, to avoid being seen as weak.

"Momo Hundredfold Slash!"

World suddenly drew a knife from his waist, which grew in size instantly. A knife that was only one meter long became enormous, darkening the sky as it descended towards Varen.

"Boring attack."

Varen commented lightly, his figure disappearing before moving behind World.

However, World, skilled in physical combat and Haki, detected Varen's position. But sensing and responding effectively are two different things.

"Hadō No. 73: Sōren Sōkatsui!"

Varen didn't hesitate, unleashing powerful flames that shot towards World's back.

"It's that strange pace again. This kid's combat experience is unusual!"

World was amazed at Varen's sophisticated fighting style.

"Don't show off this clumsy attack in front of me. It'll only make you lose faster." Varen's calm, steady gaze suggested everything was under his control.

But Varen's demeanor infuriated World even more!

"Boy, don't underestimate me!"

World was completely provoked, unable to stand being treated with such contempt.

"Momo Hundred Times Speed!"

World pushed the speed of his Momo Momo no Mi to its limit. In his vision, everything seemed to slow down. At a hundred times normal speed, he moved beyond human perception.

However, the combined perception abilities of Varen's probing nerve and Observation Haki were formidable. Nothing within his ultimate Observation Haki could escape his notice. But even so, World's hundredfold speed forced Varen into a defensive stance.

World wasn't just a Devil Fruit user but also a master of Haki and physical combat. Enhanced by his Devil Fruit, he launched a relentless assault on Varen, moving like a phantom.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

World attacked from all directions, each punch followed by a swift repositioning to avoid direct contact with Varen. The zero-distance impact from the earlier red artillery had clearly left an impression on him.

While World unleashed a high-speed barrage, Varen focused on blocking with his Zanpakutō, waiting for an opening.

"The Momo Momo no Mi is indeed a powerful Devil Fruit," Varen commented, while parrying World's attacks.

Despite World's relentless assault, Varen remained calm. World's hundredfold speed was his limit, and sustaining this would inevitably drain him.

Ten minutes later, World began to pant from the continuous high-intensity attacks. Meanwhile, Varen, who had been on the defensive, showed no signs of exhaustion.

"No! I need to conserve my energy." World realized he couldn't sustain his high-speed assault indefinitely and needed to pace himself to maintain long-term combat effectiveness.

As World exited his hundredfold acceleration mode to recover, Varen seized the moment.

"Hadō No. 4: Byakurai!"

A concentrated bolt of lightning shot from Varen's fingertip, catching World off guard. The blast struck World, forcing him to stagger back, his body smoking from the attack.

Varen's eyes glinted with determination. "Now, it's my turn."